The youth of Punjab is being poisoned by synthetic drugs. Drugs like heroin, ice (crystal meth), ketamine, MDMA have gripped the state in the grip of drugs. Thousands of drug addicts and smugglers have been arrested under the Punjab Police’s “War on Drugs” campaign, but the big masterminds are still beyond the reach of the law. The question is how to break the drug supply network and save the new generation of Punjab?
Surprising revelations have been made during police raids. Burnt and charred notes of Rs 10-20 are being found from drug addicts, which are used as pipes to sniff heroin. This small currency is also used in the purchase and sale of drugs, because big notes increase the suspicion of the police. During 2023-2025, the police seized more than 500 kg of heroin, 3 kg of ice, 100 kg of ganja and lakhs of narcotic pills, but the smuggling network is not taking the name of breaking. Synthetic drugs are being supplied from secret labs in Himachal, pharma companies in Gujarat. Heroin reaches Punjab from Afghanistan through Pakistan via drones, tunnels, and sea routes. The new generation of smugglers order drugs through the dark web, which come in small parcels by courier service or post. Punjab is not only a victim of drugs, but is also becoming a hub for supply. Ketamine, which is made for medical use, is being smuggled to Europe, America, and Australia. Ketamine use in Europe has increased by 85-90% during 2023-24, and 53 deaths have been linked to it. Smugglers send ketamine abroad under the guise of fake companies.
A sensational case of drug smuggling has come to light in Hoshiarpur jail. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the complicity of jail officials, including Senior Superintendent Baljit Singh, who is absconding. The court decided to monitor the investigation itself and rejected the bail applications of the accused. The failure of the government and the police to arrest the big smugglers has shaken the public’s confidence. Political alliances and rumors of the smugglers’ connivance have made the issue more serious. Punjab needs to take strong steps, increase international cooperation, and increase cyber surveillance to save it from this side of the drug menace.
